Attachment for cattle-cars.



No. 637.859. Patented Nw. 28,1899.

M. A.- EATMAN. T ATTACHMENT FOR CATTLE CARS. (Appumq'n med Aug. 24, 189s.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 637,959. Patented Nov. 2a, |899.

M. A. EATMAN.

ATTACHMENT FORYCATTLE CARS.

(Application led Aug. 24; 189

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

" NITED STATES PATENT Ori-Ione MICHAEL ANGELLO EATMAN, OF ITTA BENA, MISSISSIPPI.

ATTACHMENT FOR CATTLE-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,859, dated November 28, 1899.

Application filed August 24,1898. Serial No. 689,410. (No model.)

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL ANGELLO BATMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Itta Bena, in the county of Leiiore and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Attachment for Cattle-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in attachments for cattle-cars.

The object of the present invention is to provide for cattle-cars an attachment adapted to prevent stock during shipment from falling down in a car and capable of being readily operated toarrange it in its supporting position after a car has been loaded and also to lower it to the bottom of the car to permit the latter to be unloaded.

Another object of the invention is to enable the attachment to be raised and lowered from the exterior of a car and also to be arranged at the top of the car out of the way when it is not desired to use it.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illus- Atrated in the accompanying drawings, and

pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of a car provided with an attachment constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional view. Fig. 4 is a detail view of` one of the side ratchets. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the supportingframe. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of the bearing-brackets. l

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

1 designates an oblong frame designed to be arranged within a cattle-car 2 and composed of sides 3, ends 4, and longitudinal and transverse rods 5 and 6, which divide the space within the frame into smaller spaces adapted to receive the legs of cattle. The frame is designed to be of substantially the same area as the bottom of the car, and the sides and ends are preferably constructed of tubular metal, but they may be solid, if desired, and any other material can be employed in the construction of the frame,

which should be of sufficient strength to support the weight of cattle. The longitudinal and transverse bars, which may be arranged at any suitable intervals, are provided at their terminals with eyes 8 and are secured to thesides and ends of the frame by clips 9, consisting of bands embracing the frame and provided with extended terminals 10, connected by bolts 1l, which pass through the eyes of the rods.

The frame is provided at points between its ends with transverse rods 12 of greater thickness than the other rods, and these rods 12 are connected by chains 13 with parallel transverse shafts which are journaled in suitable bearings at opposite sides of the car and as near the top thereof as possible. rlhe transverse shafts 14 and 15 have cog-wheels 16 and 17 secured to them by means of set-screws or other suitable fastening devices, and these cog-wheels, which are preferably bevel-gear, mesh with bevel-pinions 18 and 19 of a longitudinal shaft 20, whereby the transverse shafts are simultaneously rotated to wind up the chains 13 and unwind them therefrom. The bevel gear-wheels are arranged at one side of the car, and the longitudinal shaft is journaled in suitable bearings at the same side.

In order to enable the frameto be raised and lowered from the exterior of the car, the bevel gear-wheel16 meshes with a horizontal bevel-pinion 2l of a short vertical operatingshaft 22, which extends through the top of the car and carries a suitable hand-wheel 23. The hand-wheel and the vertical shaft, which are located adjacent to one side of the car, are designed to be made of standard size, Asimilar to brake mechanism, in order to offer no obstruction.

The vertically-adj ustable frame is secured at any desired point bymeans of a horizontal ratchet-wheel 24, arranged upon the top of the car and suitably fixed to the vertical shaft.

AThe teeth of the ratchet-wheel are engaged by a spring-actuated paw/125 of the ordinary construction, and a Wear-plate 26 is preferably arranged upon the top of the car to receive the pawl and ratchet and prevent the same from wearin g the woodwork. As an additional security one end of each transverse shaft carries an exterior vertically-disposed ratchet-wheel 27, arranged on the side of the car adjacent to the hand-wheel and engaged by a spring-actuated pau/128, and the latter, which is pivoted at a point between its ends, has its inner portion engaged by a coiled spring 29, while a chain 30 is connected with its outer portion to enable its inner end to be readily disengaged from the ratchet-wheel. The chain depends from the pawl and is designed to be within easy reach from the ground, and any suitable means may be employedforholdingitdown. Thecoiled spring 29 is suitably secured to a stud or post 3l of a plate 32, and in order to prevent the transverse shafts from leaving their bearings their other ends are provided with washers 33 or othersuitable devices for effecting this result.

'Thelongitudinal shaft hasits ends arranged in bearings of substantially L-shaped brackets 34,*secured to the adjacent sides of the car and having arms extending therefrom and perforated to receive the shaft. The lower end of the short vertical operating-shaft is supported by an L-shaped bracket 35, secured to the top and side of the car and provided with bearing-openings receiving the said vertical shaft and the transverse shaft 14.

The bearings for the transverse shafts are supported by uprights 36, which are connected at their tops by transverse beams 37, and this construction preferably forms a part of the framework of the car. The car is provided at its bottom with short vertically-disposed pieces 38, tapering toward their upper ends, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings, and adapted to prevent the supporting-frame from swinging while the car is in motion.

The supporting-frame, which is of substantially the same area as the bottom of the car, is adapted to support the entire load of animals and does not have to be adjusted to suit the position of the animal further than to raise and lower it to bring it into and out of operation, and it Will prevent an animal from falling to the bottom of the car and being trampled on by the other animals. The de- When the device is not in use, it can be arranged at the top of the car. The frame is adapted to be `arranged upon the bottom of the car while the latter is being loaded, and after the animals are in the car they' may be secured at will by simply raising the supporting-frame, which has a plurality of leg-receiving openings. The short vertically-disposed pieces 38 prevent any material movement of the frame when the latter is elevated for securing the load of animals, and they hold the frame perfectly stationary when the same is lowered to the bottom of the car.

It will be readily understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction, such as varying the bearings and the means for supporting the parts, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

What is claimed is l. The combination with a car, of a frame provided with a plurality of leg-receiving openings and adapted to be arranged upon the bottom of the car while the same is being loaded and capable of being elevated,whereby a car-load of animals may be secured at will, and means for raising and lowering the frame, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a car, of a frame provided with a plurality of leg-receiving openings and adapted to be arranged upon the bottom of the car While the same is being loaded and capable of being elevated, whereby a car-load of animals may be secured at will, means for raising and lowering the frame, and the vertically-disposed pieces 38 mounted at opposite sides of the oar at the bottom thereof and tapering toward their upper ends, said pieces being adapted to prevent the frame from swaying and capable of holding the same stationary when arranged upon the bottom of the car, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL ANGELLO EATMAN.

Witnesses:

H. F. YOUNG, W. D. HALsELL. 

